Public Administration Optional Coaching

When it comes to choosing an optional subject for the UPSC Civil Services Exam, public administration is a popular choice among candidates. The subject provides aspirants with a comprehensive understanding of administrative systems, governance, and public policy. Over the years, we have seen a large number of candidates opting for this subject, and there have also been many toppers who have chosen public administration as their option. In fact, in 2012, almost half of the successful candidates had public administration as their optional subject, which is a significant proportion.

Public Administration Paper 1 provides candidates with a theoretical understanding of administrative concepts, while Paper 2 focuses on their practical application in governance and public policy.

According to UPSC Annual Report 2021-22, Public Administration Optional had a success rate of 7.5%.  It is among the top five subjects with a high success rate in the UPSC examination. It is the only Optional Subject which overlaps with GS Paper-II, GS Paper-III & GS Paper-IV.

Paper 1 of Public Administration delves into the theoretical and conceptual foundations of public administration, providing candidates with a solid grounding in fundamental principles. It covers topics such as:

• Evolution of Public Administration as a discipline.
• Administrative Thinkers: Contributions of classical and modern thinkers like Woodrow Wilson, Max Weber, Frederick Taylor, and Mary Parker Follett.
• New Public Administration: Emergence and significance of new approaches and paradigms in public administration theory.
• Administrative Behaviour: Individual and group dynamics, motivation, leadership, communication, and decision-making.
• Organizational Structure: Theories of organization, forms of organization, and organizational design.
• Accountability and Control: Mechanisms for ensuring transparency, accountability, and oversight in public administration.

Paper 2 of Public Administration shifts focus towards the practical aspects of governance, policy implementation, and public service delivery. It covers topics such as:

• Development Administration: The role of bureaucracy in development, challenges of development administration in India, and strategies for effective implementation of development policies.
• Planning and Economic Development: Role of planning in economic development, issues in planning processes, and challenges faced in achieving sustainable development goals.
• Governance and Public Policy: Conceptual framework of governance, policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation, regulatory bodies, and citizen engagement in governance.
• Indian Administration: Constitutional framework, central-state relations, civil services in India, and administrative reforms.
• Personnel Administration: Recruitment, training, performance appraisal, and promotion policies in the civil services.

Public Administration is such a discipline which helps an individual to inculcate administrative skills & problem-solving attitude. A Civil Servant is an administrator responsible to perform multiple functions during his/her career such as policy execution, policy monitoring, policy formulation etc. which can be performed with ease by Public Administration students as they study Public Policy in their Syllabus. More than 95% of students who choose this Optional subject have not studied this discipline in graduation. Therefore, competition is fair when compared with other Optional Subjects.

Choosing Public Administration as an optional subject for the UPSC exam offers several advantages:

1. Relevance to Governance: Public Administration is directly related to governance and administration, which are crucial aspects of civil services. Understanding its principles and practices equips aspirants with practical knowledge for their future roles as administrators.
2. Overlap with General Studies (GS): The syllabus of Public Administration overlaps significantly with topics in the GS papers, particularly GS Paper 2 (Polity, Governance, International Relations). This can help in comprehensive preparation and scoring well in both optional and GS papers.
3. Scoring Potential: Public Administration is known for its scoring potential in the UPSC exam. With its logical and structured approach, it allows aspirants to present their answers coherently, thereby increasing the chances of scoring high marks.
4. Availability of Resources: There is a plethora of study materials, books, and online resources available for Public Administration, making it easier for aspirants to prepare effectively.
5. Conceptual Clarity: Studying Public Administration enhances conceptual clarity on various administrative theories, principles, and practices, which are valuable not only for the exam but also for understanding real-world administrative challenges.
6. Interdisciplinary Approach: Public Administration involves an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating elements from political science, sociology, economics, and management. This provides a holistic understanding of governance and administration.

1. Classes to be conducted for 2.5 hours, 6 days a week
2. Simplified explanations of complex public administration terms and concepts
3. Use of everyday examples for better understanding and application
4. Visual aids and case studies used during lectures
5. Handouts containing bullet points, previous year questions, and additional information
6. Emphasis on interaction and discussion during classes
7. Time allocated for discussing previous year questions after each chapter
8. Focus on utilizing high-quality public administration references and formulations in Paper II
9. Quick and memorable references provided by the teacher
10. Aim to enhance students' understanding of public administration principles and disciplinary knowledge.

Is Public Administration a good Optional for Humanities or Engineering or Medical or Commerce background students?

A good student always searches for a logical discipline to ensure success in competitive exams. Public Administration is such a discipline which helps an individual to inculcate administrative skills & problem-solving attitude. A Civil Servant is an administrator responsible to perform multiple functions during his/her career such as policy execution, policy monitoring, policy formulation etc. which can be performed with ease by Public Administration students as they study Public Policy in their Syllabus. More than 95% of students who choose this Optional subject have not studied this discipline in graduation. Therefore, competition is fair when compared with other Optional Subjects.

How much time does Public Administration take to complete as a UPSC Optional Subject?

The average duration to cover the syllabus of Public Administration Optional Subject is 5 months. It is similar to other Optional Subjects in this respect only. We conduct Optional batches for the months of June - November & October - March.